


It Takes a Village to Raise a Child

by Amazable01



Series: Tales of the SMPverse [1]
Category: DreamSMP, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Let me know if anything needs tagging, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, blood mention, more tags to be added later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:55:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28698024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amazable01/pseuds/Amazable01
Summary: Karl, bored of his lonesome adventures into the past, decides to take Tommy on an adventure through time. As the magic, however, backfires horribly.Now, Tommy is aged down to a little 3 year-old, who remembers nothing from his time in the SMP. Karl has to protect the boy while he tries to find a cure. But with Dream always closing in, and all of Tommy's friends and family scattered to the winds, will Karl be able to help this child?
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Karl Jacobs & Sapnap
Series: Tales of the SMPverse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2103606
Comments: 63
Kudos: 263





	1. A New Adventure Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karl is in the library, not expecting any visitors to come in today and expecting to adventure alone later that night.
> 
> Seems like the universe has something else in store for the day.

The Rutabagaville library had only recently been built in the SMP, but it had quickly become a favorite of most of the people on the SMP. Designed by Karl and sponsored by Dream, Tubbo, Techno, Niki, and Bad, it is the only place in the entirety of the server designed to be neutral. Anyone is allowed in and given sanctuary, unless they show that they are dangerous to the books or the librarians inside.

The two current librarians are Karl and Ghostbur, Ghostbur because he was good at caring for a library and missed his own dearly, and Karl because he wanted a safe place to put the tales he had amassed over time.

The library was a small, two story building on the highest peak of Rutabagaville. It was made of spruce and dark oak, with some birch on the floors for contrast. It was divided into three sections.

The front desk and office area was the first, which was right next to the front door. There was a nice dark oak desk out front, and a storage room for the information a bit further back. The walls were covered with shelves of books, and posters for events upcoming. A bell was hung from the ceiling, and people would ring it to summon the librarians. Or to get Primes.

The next area was the seating area, which had chairs, pillows, blankets, tables, rugs, and all manner of colorful and warm things. It was designed to be a comfy space to eat, or to read, or even to chat with a friend if you so choose. Near the back was a large fireplace, created to run on blaze powder rather than wood, so it never truly ran out of flame. It also didn't burn or grow too hot, but was just warm enough to be comfortable, even if someone accidentally touched it or threw something inside of it.

And, finally, there was the main library, which had two stories worth of books towered high up into the sky. A domed skylight with Karl's signature swirl inside the glass sat at the very top, letting the sun beam down upon those below looking for something to read. It had at least a thousand stories, as well as history books, skill books, magical guides, and all other manner of important and interesting books that one could come over and read for free.

Often, you could find the library full of people bustling about, full of life as people checked out books, returned them, or just gathered around the fireplace to talk to one another in peace. However, on this particular day, it was empty and quiet. No one had yet come in, and the only sounds were the crackling fire and the quiet breaths from Karl as he sorted out the books on the shelf. It was going to be a quiet day, or so he thought.

* * *

* * *

Karl looks up as the door opens with a small jingle, before closing again quickly. He honestly wasn't expecting anyone to come, and so he had fallen into a silent rhythm with Ghostbur. Simply checking in books, and putting them away, and repeating the cycle again and again.

"Tommy!" Ghostbur says with a happy voice, heading to the door. "Oh, you're cold again. Com'on, let's settle you by the fire and I'll make you something warm."

Karl watches out of the corner of his eye. Tommy was, admittedly, one of Karl's favorite guests to the library. He loved to listen to Karl's stories, and was very respectful despite the reputation he had on the server. He sat in one particular spot every day he visited, a small window nook by the fireplace where you could often find him napping or reading, or even working on a sewing project quietly.

Karl looks over, and watches as Tommy slips into his little corner. Karl heads back to the counter, humming as he looks at Ghostbur's Recommendation book. Ghostbur had written the book so the two, and any future librarians, could help recommend stories to different people on the SMP that would interest them. He flips through, looking for Tommy's name, and then looking at the next recommendation.

He hums. "The Village that Went Mad, huh?" He thinks about it for a moment, before nodding. "Makes sense. Helga and Tommy would've gotten along well. Cornelius would've probably thrown him to the wolves, though." He chuckles softly, before going to grab the book from a shelf. The book itself was bound in black leather, and had golden etchings across its surface. The surface had been made VERY carefully, and if you slowly tilted the book back and forth, you could see the faces of each person from within the gold.

It was a simple trick of the light that Bad had taught him, but Karl still thought it was the coolest thing he'd ever made.

He carefully carries the book over, moving to Tommy's little spot. He had learned to not sneak up on Tommy, so he made sure his footsteps were audible on the wooden floor as he approached.

Tommy looks up, blinking. "Hello, Karl. What brings you to my Big Man Cave?"

Karl tries to not laugh too hard, for fear of spooking the ghost. "I thought you'd like a new story to read, so I brought you this." He hands over the book.

Tommy takes it, looking at the cover before his jaw drops. "Holy shit, is this gold?!?!"

Karl groans as he hears a loud thump from a nearby shelf, and a quick "I'm okay!" from the ghost who had jumped soon after. "Yes, it's real gold. Dream and Ponk wanted to contribute. Bad did too."

Tommy moves the book back and forth, squinting to see the different people. "When was this one set?"

"A hundred-or-so years ago. It's certainly one of my personal favorites. I think you'd like Helga, and probably Robin. Robin reminds me of Tubbo a bit, come to think of it... Oh well, probably not important."

Tommy snorts. "What's this one about? I don't want to read it if it's another fucking history book from Ghostbur."

Karl laughs. "No, no. This is a tale of murderers, jesters, and innocents just trying to survive. Honestly, it's worth a read even if it wasn't on your recommended. Plus, it's one of my personal favorites."

Tommy blinks, pondering for a moment. "Fine. But if I don't like it, I'm burning it."

Karl rolls his eyes. "Bring it back to the front when you're done. Feel free to stay as long as you like, we'll be serving snacks here in about half an hour."

* * *

It's getting late, and yet Tommy is still in his windowsill, reading away at the mystery book.

Karl hadn't bothered him much, as Tommy had been extremely engrossed in the story since the moment he had started. He had only gotten up three times, once to go to the restroom, once to eat some snacks when they arrived, and the last time was to help Ghostbur with a few books that he couldn't carry. Each time he finished his task he would return and pick up the book again.

Karl smiles softly. It isn't often Tommy would get interested in something, but when he does, it's a joy for all to see. He could be loud and jumpy, but in times like this, he would be quiet, focused, and respectful of other people. For a moment, Karl wonders if this is what Tommy had needed back during the L'Manberg days before he burned down George's house. An outlet, of sorts. Something to do when he got bored or anxious or stressed.

Maybe Tommy could set up a place here? A tailor shop, perhaps? Or he could help in the library. Something for him to do (that caused limited amounts of stress and PTSD, mind you) would be good for the kid's mental state and impulses.

Karl is snapped out of his state when Ghostbur sets a large book in front of Karl. "Hello, Karl!" The ghost's smile is as bright as ever. "I wanted to remind you that you were going to go off on an adventure, today!"

Karl smiles back, picking up the book. "Thank you, Ghostbur. Make sure to get some rest."

"Oh, I am! Just wanted to remind you. Buh-bye!" Ghostbur then vanishes into the shelves, off to his room hidden from even Karl.

Karl carefully traces the swirly pattern on the book with a finger. He often loved to get away from the chaos by jumping into more controllable chaos. Call it coping or evading or whatever, it was something that helped Karl process the world around him. Plus, knowing more about people here had made him grow more and more attached to others. It was a way to involve himself in the world without putting himself in harm's way. And after, he could tell those stories to the people who would've never known them.

Tommy's footsteps walk over, and he puts the book down on the counter. "Um... Thanks, I guess. For the book." He shifts a bit, looking at the door with apprehension before turning back with a childish smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "Is there anything you need? I mean, I AM the busiest person on the server, but I can make some time since you showed me that book."

Karl knows that look. He's seen it countless times, from both his travels and his library. A fear unspoken but understandable by anyone. Tommy can't leave the library tonight.

However, Karl can't leave Tommy here alone while he goes on an adventure. Not only is that cruel, it would be much too dangerous for both Tommy and library. Dream promised to let it stand, but he has refused to accept the sanctuary laws before. And while treaties were in place, Dream would burn them all down to have a CHANCE to get Tommy again.

Karl couldn't risk that happening, no matter how much he wanted to adventure.

He pauses, an idea suddenly coming to him. "Tommy?"

The teen looks up from where he was picking at the front desk. "Yeah?"

"How would you like to come with me on an adventure?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Feel free to drop a kudos and a comment if you liked! I can promise this story is gonna be exciting~
> 
> (Also, yes, Tommy sews in canon. I'm trying to get this on the wiki, cause it's trueee)


	2. Magical Mishap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karl decides to bring Tommy with him on an adventure with... unexpected results.

Tommy's eyebrow raises. "An adventure? What kind of adventure? It better not be something that's fucking boring, or some shit like that."

Karl chuckles. "An adventure through time. Tommy, I want to take you to see a story up close."

Despite his attempt to look aloof and cool, Tommy's eyes seem to shimmer at the opportunity. "Sounds... cool, I guess. What would I do?"

"Well, you'd be able to fly, and you'd basically watch the story unfold in real time. Then, when we get back, you'd help me write it out and make the cover."

Tommy blinks, all attempts to look 'cool' vanishing instantly. "Fuck yeah, I wanna do that!"

Karl nods, grabbing his book and leading Tommy to the library. "First off, what time frame do we want to go to?"

Tommy blinks confused. "Could you say that again in, you know, English?"

Karl laughs, moving some books from a nearby table so he can set his own book down. He settles it, and makes sure that it will stay in place before responding. "The book helps us select a specific place and event, but it needs a time frame, genre, and mood to do so. I'm starting easy, since it's your first time jumping through time. I also don't know exactly how well this will work, so I'm going as slow as possible."

Tommy opens his mouth, but is silenced by a loud crash of thunder. The skies are dark and stormy, the clouds gray as ash. He jumps, clutching his arms and shaking a bit. Probably from the memory of being struck by lightning once before, if Karl had to guess. "That's not good weather..." The teen mutters softly.

Karl waves it off. "Weather outside isn't that important. What time are you interested in from the past? I would suggest something VERY far in the past for your first time. It lowers the chances of meeting someone you know."

Tommy watches the storm for a bit, obviously thinking about a lot of things. Karl admired that Tommy would think about his actions more than he once had. Sure, he had to learn through the most horrible and painful ways imaginable, and that was not excusable no matter what 'lessons' were learned. Karl remembered watching the wars and the exile and the manipulation from beyond Tommy's comprehension, and every moment he had to hold back helping was horrible. Nevertheless, it was obvious the kid had grown quite a bit into a person that Karl admired, feared, was annoyed by, and was endearing all in equal measure.

Tommy looks back to Karl. "I think it would be nice to see something like "The Village That Went Mad". if we could find somewhere like that?"

Karl nods. "Sure! Let me look." Karl unlocked the book, and it fluttered open. The book glows with an aurora of neon colored lights, flipping through it's own pages to find the requested historical event and prepare itself to transport the travelers to it.

Karl looked over at Tommy, the boy mesmerized by the magical display. "That's fucking poggers..." He mutters softly."

Karl grins, and then the book stops. He moves forward, reading through the page. "'The Farmer's Ball?' Sounds interesting from the little description, and it's a mystery just like the other one!"

Tommy blinks. "A ball? Why's there only-"

"NO!" Karl laughs, and Tommy grins. "A ball is like a fancy party for kings and princesses and stuff. And this one has some murder, apparently."

"Fancy murder party? Sounds pog as shit!" Tommy says, grin still present. "How do we get there?!?!"

"Take my hand, Tommy."

Tommy pauses. "I'm a minor, you know. This could be considered very inappropriate under some circumstances."

Karl rolls his eyes. "Do you want to come with or not?"

Tommy takes Karl's hand, and Karl reaches towards the book. He presses his hand to the page...

And the lights all go out as a crash of thunder envelops the library.

Tommy clings to Karl, shaking. Karl squeezes his hand, looking up to see the now ominous black clouds circling overhead. Green smoke begins pouring out of the book, letting out a sound that resembles thousands of hissing snakes.

Karl pulls Tommy back. "Don't breathe it in. I'm going to get you outside and to safety. It's never done this before..."

"What do you mean 'It's never done this before'?!?!" Tommy cries, backing away from the book that is now glowing sickly green while still pouring out smoke. "You said you understood it!"

"I thought I did!" Karl defends, backing up further. Thunder and lighting crash outside, the book showing its rage in a way Karl couldn't understand. Had he upset it? He had only tried to bring someone else with him, perhaps that was the problem?

Tommy suddenly cries out as he's pulled to the ground by his ankle, the smoke somehow encasing the boy. Karl grips his hand, trying to pull him back out to no avail.

Tommy cries out again as he's dragged further, each second more and more of him being consumed by the billow of green now almost waist high and steadily growing.

Karl grunts. "Hold on! I'll get you out of this, I promise!"

Tommy opens his mouth again, and it suddenly races inside. Tommy body goes limp, and his eyes melt into pools of neon green. The smoke envelops him, burning Karl's hand to the point where Karl can no longer keep hold.

Lighting and thunder boom louder than any TNT could ever hope to, and the smoke grows too thick to see inside. It pulses that sickly green light that had covered the book, and there's a horrible, ominous sound coming from within.

And then it all stops. The weather is quiet, the glowing is gone, and the smoke clears.

And there, sitting in a puddle of his adult clothes, is a 5 year-old blonde boy with bright blue eyes who can only have one name.

"Tommy?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like, please leave a kudos and a comment! It really makes my day! <3
> 
> Also, to help with future chapters, the main person/people mentioned in the summary is the POV, since I do plan on it changing a bit. And the chapters are going to fluctuate with the length and the release dates depending on various things, so be ready for whenever these manage to come out.


	3. Hide and Seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karl now has a tiny child on his hands, and Dream decides to visit.

"Tommy?"

The toddler coos, reaching up for Karl while making grabby hands through the fabric of his now much-too-big shirt.

Karl carefully scoops up Tommy, and rushes over to the book. He watches the book in shock.

It seems to be writing a new story. The page has Tommy's little face on it, and although there is no title, the page is typing out a new story in real time. And all by itself.

Karl pulls back, confused. "It's... it's REALLY never done this, before..."

Tommy coos again, before speaking. "Hello? Who is you?"

Karl blinks and moves Tommy as far away from the book as he possibly can. He settles Tommy on top of the front desk before properly getting a good look at him. "It's... Tommy, it's me, Karl."

"Karl? Nice to meets you, Karl!" The damage seems pretty severe. If it had been only a year or two, it might've been less noticeable than this. Tommy is now about 3 feet tall, and he's certainly a toddler.

Karl groans softly. "Oh, this shouldn't be happening! I have no idea what went wrong!" He hides his face in his hands, leaning against the desk with another groan. "I'm so sorry, Tommy..."

The toddler crawls over and hugs Karl's head. "No sad! Sad is bad! Wilby said so."

Karl chuckles softly, maneuvering Tommy off so he can get back up to standing. "What do I do with you, little Tommy? I can't take you around, cause it's so dangerous on this server. Maybe you can stay here for bit?"

Tommy has already stood up from his space on the desk, looking around. "Dada? Blade? Wilby? Hello, no more sleepies!" He calls out. He almost falls off the desk, and Karl races to steady him.

"They're out right now, Tommy." Karl lies. How much would Tommy remember, and how would people react to him because of that?

"Out? Why out?" The child narrows his eyes, and Karl can't help the laughter that bubbles out of him. The child grins, happy he managed to make the other laugh.

"They're running some errands. I'm gonna take care of you for a little while, and then we'll get them here."

Tommy nods. "Okay! Can we play?"

Karl smiles. "Sure, bud. What do you like t-"

A loud banging on the door makes Karl almost drop the kid in shock.

"Karl, are you still in there?"

Karl's eyes go wide. Dream being here is not only bad timing, but bad news. He almost never visited the library, and, when he did, it meant bad things for everyone involved.

Tommy opens his mouth, but Karl shushes him. He moves a bit away from the door. "Hey buddy..." Hw whispers. "Do you like playing Hide and Seek...?"

Tommy nods.

Karl smiles, nervous still. "Good. There's a man outside who's not very nice, and he doesn't like playing games. So I need you to play Hide and Seek REALLY good so he can't find you, okay?"

Tommy nods.

Karl sets him down. "I'll tell you when the game is over, okay?"

Tommy nods again, and races off to hide somewhere in the library.

Karl takes a deep breath, and opens the door a bit. He makes sure to have a welcoming smile on his face. "Dream! What brings you here?"

Dream pushes through, and Karl closes the door behind him. "I came to inform you of a new rule in place for the Dream SMP. The Council met up and decided that Tommy is too dangerous to be allowed anywhere near spawn." He starts to rummage through the library, creating a mess as books are thrown off shelves and chairs are pulled out of place.

Karl tries to keep his voice cool. The Council was serious business. Lead by Dream, and consisting of Tubbo, Techno, Niki, Eret, AND Bad, it was the only overall authority over the entire server. Karl would have to tread lightly, for the library and Tommy's sake. "On what grounds? The Council can't decide who is and isn't allowed sanctuary within the Library, that is the rule."

"The grounds of his past actions. Inciting violence, mild and major terrorism, defying authority many times, and destruction of private and public property. And that's only the major crimes." Dream explains, walking further into the library and continuing his search. He leaves a destructive path behind him, priceless books left to be trampled in his wake. "And, if you remember, the Council can decide whether or not a person is too dangerous to exist within 3 thousand blocks from spawn without sanctuary. That means the library can house them, but they cannot leave or they can be arrested or killed on sight, depending on the severity."

Karl hums. "So what brings you here, then?"

"Tommy has been here, and I intend to bring him to his new exile point." Dream shrugs. "Now, don't make this difficult, Kar-"

There's a tiny sneeze, and the library goes deathly silent. Karl swear weeks pass in that tense, furious quiet. Dream turns to Karl, his mask hiding any emotion on his face, not speaking a single word to the other. Karl swears the tension was too strong to cut, even with the sharpest and most well-crafted blades.

Karl tries to be calm, clearing his throat softly. "If that is all, Dream, then you unfortunately must go. Sanctuary means you can't come in here and drag someone out to hurt them, or something. If Tommy was in here, which I cannot tell you due to the nature of your visit, you could do nothing to him. So, I must ask you to leave before you become a danger to the safety and sanctity of my library."

Dream is quiet for a moment. "Fine. But, by tomorrow, I will have people stationed to watch and wait, Karl. If he leaves, they will bring him to me. If he tries to sneak away, he will be brought to me. If he leaves this sanctuary, he will be with me. I trust you understand the gravity of this, so I will be on my way." He walks out, pausing in the doorway for a moment. "Remember who owns this library, Karl. Remember why it is still standing." He leaves, slamming the door shut.

Karl takes a deep breath, waiting for Dream to leave before speaking again. "Tommy! Bud, it's time to come out!"

He hears feet scampering and slipping, and then feels someone small cling to his leg. "I don't like him..." Tommy mumbles into Karl's leg. "He's a meanie..."

Karl nods. "He is." He picks up the other, holding the bundle of clothes with a child inside with a careful grip. "I need to get you out of here, and now. I need to talk with the council members about this, as well. Cause I don't know if they have the authority to do this, or if they even did this in the first place..." He sighs. "I think I need to get you back home. Sap and Quackity might have some ideas on what to do. Plus, I can try and get in contact with Eret, Techno, and Tubbo to see if this is true or not. As long as you're far away from Dream, I think you'll be okay..."

Karl looks at the book for a moment. His whole life, he had been a watcher. His rule had been to never involve himself in stories, but to rather observe and recount. If he broke that rule, he would be going against everything he had learned and told himself. But, if he didn't, Tommy could be in more danger than Karl could possibly imagine.

Karl grabs the book, making sure to close it carefully, and makes his choice.

He walks out of the library, and rushes home to see his fiancés, hoping all the while that he was making the right decision. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's getting spicy now. Let's hope Karl knows what he's doing.
> 
> As always, a kudos and a comment would be awesome! Thank you all so much for the support on this fic. It really helps me feel motivated and interested in this project! Love you all! <3
> 
> BTW: If you like this fic, I would also recommend my exile oneshots! It's a mixed bag of angst and fluff, but it's all centered around Tommy in some way, and I'll be trying to update these two more equally as my schooling starts back up.


	4. How Many Partners are Needed to Care for a Baby?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karl brings Tommy to El Rapids, and insanity ensues.
> 
> Sapnap takes Tommy on an outing, and almost loses a forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be a bit out of character, and also veer a bit from canon, so please forgive me.

Karl avoided the Prime Path, choosing to go around Eret's castle and back for a bit more privacy and security. He walks silently, avoiding anything that could possibly get someone alerted to his presence.

He is carrying two very important things on him, after all.

He makes it to El Rapids, trying to hide the large crater next door from the child while also getting into one of the houses quickly. He then takes a deep breath, sighing softly. Coming home had never felt so stressful before, and he didn't ever want it to be that stressful again.

Karl settles Tommy on a nearby bed, before pulling out the book and flipping through it. He opens the new page, and sees it still writing the story. He closes it again, sighing softly.

Tommy stands up, and bounces once on the bed before giggling. He continues to bounce, entertaining himself for the time being.

Karl smiles softly at that. He soon grew worried, however. How could he keep Tommy safe from Dream? How would others react to Karl suddenly having a child? When would this dreadful tale finish? How long would he have to be the adult, and protect an innocent child?

"KARL!"

Karl snaps out of his thoughts, finally registering that Sapnap was holding Tommy just off the floor, and Quackity was in the doorway, shocked.

"Um..." Karl starts. "I know what this looks like, and I PROMISE that it's not what you think..."

Sapnap pulls Tommy into his arms, looking down at the little guy with confusion.

"What do you MEAN it's not what we think, Karl?!?" Quackity shuts the door behind him. "It looked like you were staring at the wall while that kid fucking tried to jump to his death! And where did you even get a kid?!?!" He gasps. "You better not be having kids with someone like Dream, I swear to-

Karl groans. "Quackity, no. The kid isn't a love child or anything. The kid is a mistake-"

"That's rude." Sapnap butts in a bit, still fascinated with the child in his arms.

"-that I'm trying to figure out how to reverse."

"You can't reverse a kid, Karl." Quackity groans. "That's kind of a permanent thing."

Karl sighs. "You both don't get it. That kid is Tommy."

Quackity and Sapnap both go still, and stare at the child who is snuggling into Sap's chest with a soft noise. "This... is Tommy...?" Sap says, after a minute.

Karl nods. "Yes. I'm trying to get him back to normal, because for some reason the book was very angry with me trying to bring him with me, or something..."

Quackity sighs, fixing his beanie out of habit. "So that... thing, is Tommyinnit?"

Karl nods again.

Sapnap is silent for a moment, and then he grins. "Well, at least he's become his true form!"

Quackity bursts into laughter, and Karl soon follows suit.

* * *

The three had to readjust to their new lives with Tommy.

Karl took on a motherly role, caring for Tommy when he was at the house, and working with the Council when he was out. He rarely took a break unless he was forced to, and even then he was examining his book to find the problem that had left Tommy like this.

Quackity's parenting approach was... well, to not parent unless forced to. He very much did not appreciate being around the child, and he also was often out doing more things for El Rapids now that the nation was looking to expand a bit beyond the small crest of the hill.

Which left Sapnap with Tommy most of time.

Not that he was complaining. Little Tommy was MUCH better behaved than regular Tommy. He also was much more accepting and infinitely more fun to play games with.

The two were out today, walking through the forest just beyond El Rapids and the remains of L'Manberg. It had really just become empty after Pogtopia had disbanded, and so it was a good place to go with Tommy when they both needed some time out of the house.

Tommy skips along, following butterflies and bees without a care as they traversed through the woods.

Sapnap watches him, smiling softly. It wasn't often that Tommy got to leave the house, what with the sudden ramping in surveillance for the whole SMP, as well as the fact that nothing was really safe for a tiny kid like him. But, when he could, Sapnap did like to take him out here to play and have fun.

Today, however, is the day he's going to teach Tommy something very important. "Tommy?" Sap calls out.

Tommy races back, bouncing on his heels. "Yes?"

"You're three years old, right?"

Tommy nods. "Yup!"

"Good. So that means you're old enough to learn about arson."

"Arse-on?" The child asks, confused.

Sapnap has to force himself to hold it together at that. "Close enough." He leads Tommy to the clearing outside Pogtopia, making sure to keep Tommy from crawling through the deep river. "Before we begin, there's some important things to know. First, fire burns. Which means we don't touch it, okay?"

Tommy nods. "Not touch the fire."

"Good. Now, you can set a lot of things on fire. That's called arson, and no matter what people say, it is okay and totally legal."

Tommy is very confused, but Sapnap continues.

"I'm going to give you something, and then we're going to play with fire WITHOUT touching it, okay?" Tommy nods at this, and Sapnap hands him a flint and steel before setting up a couple logs in the open field. "Alright, so playing with fire is easy. All you need to do is aim it at the woods, and flick the ring on the rock. Then, you'll be able to see the fire!"

Tommy nods, seemingly determined to see the fire. He aims the flint and steel, with a bit of help from Sapnap, and sets the logs aflame. His eyes go big and wide as the fire spreads up the log quickly, and a small bonfire makes itself known. "pretty..." He mutters softly.

Sapnap grins. "It is pretty. Now, we don't set EVERYTHING on fire, but we do set a lot of things on f-" He blinks, and suddenly the child is across the river, trying to light a nearby tree on fire.

"No!" Sapnap scolds, literally vaulting over the river to stop the little guy. "That's one of the things we do not set on fire."

Tommy blinks, and flicks the flint and steel anyways.

The trees around them start to go up in smoke. One by one, the trees of the forest turns to ash. A giant, flaming branch almost crushes the kiddo, but Sap manages to roll him away at the last second. He holds Tommy secure, backing away towards the river. His lungs begin to fill with smoke, and even Tommy is beginning to choke on it. Both cough harshly, and Sapnap's legs give out.

He holds Tommy close, and prepares for the worst.

Then suddenly, there's the sudden sound of dousing flames, and Sapnap looks up to see a person he didn't want to see standing high above the burnt tree-line.

"Sapnap Halo. What in the name of Church Prime do you think you're doing?!?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, Sapnap's dead. RIP Sapnap.
> 
> Thank you for all the support! It's been awesome and super nice to get so much support on this story!
> 
> As always, feel free to drop a kudos and/or a comment if you're liking this story so far! It makes my day, and it helps motivate me to keep making content! <3


	5. Timeout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapnap is now stuck in Bad's house, having to explain the child in his possession.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter starts diving into small hcs and things that are not expressly lore on the SMP. People also might not be fully in character, so please excuse my writing if it's bad.

Sapnap sighed as he sits in his old childhood bedroom, watching Tommy play with a couple toys.

Bad had been rather unhappy when he found Sapnap and a literal child choking on forest fire smoke while holding flint and steels. The whole Badlands had come to put the fire out, and Bad had basically forced Sapnap to go back to his childhood home while they surveyed the damage and worked on replanting. Of course, this meant that Sapnap was now stuck here with Tommy until Bad could return and chew him out for being reckless.

Not the first time this had happened though. And CERTAINLY not the last.

Sapnap looks out the window at the garden by Skeppy and Bad's manor with an even heavier sigh. It had recently been planted as a gift from Snowchester, and a token of good faith to the Badlands. Bees fluttered about. and different flowers and plants surround a large fountain in the center. It's a peaceful sight, one he might've done well with having when he was young. Maybe then he wouldn't be as chaotic, and wouldn't be about to get this lecture.

A knock on the door interrupts Sapnap's sulking. "Come in." He says, softly.

Bad walks in, closing the door behind him with a soft sigh.

Tommy races over and hugs Bad's legs. "Thank you for help." He mumbles into the other.

Bad's frustration melts away instantly, and he picks up Tommy with a bright smile. "Hey, little guy! You're welcome. Thank you for being very polite and patient." He ruffles Tommy's hair.

Tommy cuddles into Bad with a small giggle, before yawning.

Bad gives Tommy one more hair ruffle before tucking him in and motioning for Sapnap to follow him. Sap does so, making sure Tommy is safe before walking with Bad out to the gardens. Bad strolls over to a bench, sitting down with a sigh. "Son, what were you doing out there? And with a little kid, no less! If we hadn't seen the smoke when we did, there could've been serious consequences..."

Sapnap stays standing, picking at his sleeves. "Look, dad. I was teaching the kid about fire. I didn't realize he'd light up the forest! He was extremely well-behaved up until then, and I don't know what happened!"

Bad chuckles softly. "I can say from experience that no matter how well-behaved a child is, they will ALWAYS do dangerous things that could put them in danger. No matter how much they listen, it's important to pay attention and work on making sure they're safe."

Sapnap nods softly. "Okay, dad. I'm sorry..."

Bad nods, pushing his sleeves up. "Now, where did you three steal this child from?"

Sapnap blinks. "What?"

Bad laughs. "Sap, I don't believe for a second that you three not only had a child, but also that you three would teach them to be this polite and respectful. Plus, I've been to El Rapids, recently, and I never saw him 'til today."

"We could have and raise a kid!"

He blinks. "You literally dressed him in one of Karl's hoodies with one of your bandanas wrapped around his waist like a bow to keep it tight. Where's he from?"

Sapnap sighs. "It's... complicated."

"I'm free to listen."

"Well, it all started when Karl was running the library-"

* * *

Bad whistles softly as Sapnap ends. "Wow. That's... a lot."

Sap nods. "Yeah, so we're taking care of Tommy until he's big again."

"Are you sure that's Tommy? He's so sweet."

"According to Karl, it is." He sighs. "By the way, why did you all decide to banish Tommy? Like, I hear the Council did this."

Bad blinks. "The Council? I must've missed the memo for that meeting. I think Tommy may need to spend some time making things up to people like George and Tubbo, but banishment and exile for the fourth time is a little... excessive."

Sapnap nods. "That's what I was thinking, too."

"I'll go and talk with those muffins about it. See what I can do." Bad smiles, again. "In any case, if you need anything for him, let me know. We still have everything from when you were little, and I'm sure we can find something that will fit him."

"Would you mind if we looked now? Cause I don't know how long Tommy is going to be asleep for without one of us holding him. He doesn't like sleeping by himself a lot..."

Bad fixes his sleeves. "Sure thing!"

They both head back inside, Sap stealing a cornflower and a peony for his partners on the way inside.

If Bad noticed, he doesn't say anything. "It's all in the basement. We, umm... well we tended to keep all of your childhood things safe in case we adopted again, but that didn't really happen..." He leads Sapnap to the basement, and towards a bunch of chests stacked in the corner. Bad moves a few out of the way, before brushing the dust off one. He opens it up. "Should we dress him in red? Or something less Tommy-like?"

"I mean, red's fine. He looks best in red, and it might help if we have to bring him back to Ghostbur or someone else."

"True." Bad starts pulling out a bunch of red clothes, all of which look about Tommy's size.

There's suddenly a loud scream from upstairs, and Sapnap's heart almost stops. "That was Tommy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh. Tommy screaming can't be good...
> 
> Also, I'm so very sorry it's short. Next chapter should be longer.
> 
> As always, feel free to drop a kudos and/or a comment if you're liking this story so far! It makes my day, and it helps motivate me to keep making content! <3


	6. Nightmares Are Not Poggers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad comforts a child. Sapnap makes some calls.

Bad rushes up the stairs two at a time, his heart screaming in his chest even louder than the child. Maybe Tommy fell off the bed, or he woke up and was scared?

Or... maybe Dream got to him... Bad knows a lot, because he's in the council, and Dream's vengeance plan isn't easy to decipher. Still, why the other members would agree to it... He shakes his head, needing to stay focused for Tommy's sake.

He races to the room, and can hear muffled screaming and shuffling noises. For a moment, he wonders if Dream really did try to break into his house. If so, they'd be having problems.

He opens the door, only to see the poor little guy sobbing into his pillow, shaking violently. Bad rushes over, moving to sit on the bed and moving Tommy to his chest with a worried noise. "Tommy, buddy... I'm here... Bad's here..." He carefully shushes Tommy, rocking side to side while keeping Tommy secure.

He had dealt with nightmares before with Sapnap. And while he may not know the causes of Tommy's fears, he would try his best to soothe them with kind words and soft touches.

Tommy cried into Bad for a while, before slowly coming down from the fear. He eventually comes down to sniffling, and he pulls back a bit from Bad. "'m sorry... had a scary dream..." He says softly.

Bad sets Tommy on the bed next to him with a soft hum. "There's no need to be, bud. Can I ask you some questions about the scary dream?"

Tommy settles, nodding. He wipes at his nose with the hoodie sleeve, still shaking a little.

"Tell me when you need to stop, and I will. Can you tell me about the dream?"

Tommy sniffles. "was the face..."

"Face? What face, buddy?"

"I call him Mr. Face... He likes to follow me when I go to bed... He makes me scared..." Tommy says softly. "He has a smiley face, but under there is angry red..."

Bad nods. So Dream was chasing him in his nightmares, it seems. "Where are you in the dreams?"

"Sometimes it's a big hole, sometimes it's a island, and sometimes it's just black..."

"What are you doing in the dreams with Mr. Face?" Bad is both nervous and hopeful. The memories are still there, it seems. Just buried down far below. Which is good, cause that means Tommy, the grown-up Tommy, is still there. But that also means that this Tommy will have to deal with things a toddler never should.

"Running... 'm always running away, and he always gets me..." Tommy sniffles a little again. "He always gets me..."

Bad sighs softly. "That sounds really scary. I will say you are very brave for telling me, Tommy. I'm glad you've told me about him." He thinks. "I've got an idea. How about we get you some new pjs, a snack, some water, and I'll do my special magic to make scary things like Mr. Face go far away?"

Tommy nods. "can i go up, bad...?"

Bad stands, scooping up Tommy softly. "Of course! Now, how about we get some muffins and some juice, and maybe a long bubble bath?"

Tommy smiles brightly, and for a moment, Bad forgets everything Tommy had ever done wrong. Anything he had ever caused.

But he had to wonder: what had happened to turn this little angel into the person Bad knew all too well?

* * *

Sapnap looks at his phone, wary. Should he really do this? If he contacts the wrong person, well... it could be all over for Tommy, Karl, Quackity... Even Bad could get in trouble.

But he isn't naïve. There were only four people in this world who could truly care for Tommy in the way he needed, and two of them were on the council. If ANYONE could help it would be them.

He looks off towards the L'Manberg crater, and, for just a moment, he's back inside the war with bombs falling from the sky, Withers flying through the air, and dogs scampering across the ground. The smell of gunpowder and sulfur fills his nose, as well the smell of blood.

He shudders. Maybe he's not ready to contact two of them, yet.

However, he steels himself, and enters a phone number.

"Hello?"

"Tubbo? It's Sapnap. I need your help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to drop a kudos and/or a comment if you're liking this story so far! It makes my day, and it helps motivate me to keep making content! <3


	7. Snow Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapnap and Tommy take a visit to Snowchester. Jack Manifold has a change of heart.

Sapnap had stayed with Bad for a couple days, both because he enjoyed the free babysitting his dad was willing to provide and Tubbo was not going to be ready for visitors for another week or so. Today, however, everything is ready for Sapnap to bring Tommy over to Snowchester, and have a conversation with Tubbo. He needs answers about the Council, and he also needs to know what Tubbo remembers about Tommy's childhood.

Bad smiles as he wraps them up in warm coats. Tommy had fallen asleep, and Sapnap now carefully cradles him both in preparation for the journey, and to not wake the poor child. "And you're sure you've got enough for the journey? Food, water, armor, potions?"

Sapnap can't help the smile at his father's worries. "Bad, it's a soul speed highway from Tommy's basement to Snowchester. I'll be fine, and Tommy will be too."

Bad sighs. "I just don't want you getting cold or hurt out there. Plus, you're going to be there for a while, and I have no clue who or what might attack you while you're there..."

Sapnap nods, a silent understanding passing between them. "I've got strength, invis, regen, and health. That includes a couple splash potions for Tommy. I also have a couple golden apples, and my best gear in my ender chest, and Tubbo had promised that he has a safety bunker in case of explosions. We're going to be fine, Bad. I'll only be gone for a couple days, and then we can come back."

Bad sighs. "Promise me you'll be safe."

"I promise to be as safe as I possibly can until I come home, Dad. And I'll make sure to keep Tommy safe."

Bad hugs Sapnap softly, trying to not disturb Tommy while doing so. "I'm sure you'll be alright if you remember what I taught you." He pulls back. "I'm going off to Drywaters to talk with Niki about the last Council meeting, since I'd like to know what happened at the last meeting. I'll send a letter when I get there."

Sapnap softly nods. "You be safe too, alright?"

Bad smiles. "I will be, and Skeppy will be with me. I needed to go for Badlands business as well, so I may be there for a while."

Sapnap nods. "Well, I'll be going, I think. Take care, Bad."

Bad nods, and Sapnap heads off to Snowchester.

* * *

Sapnap steps out of the tunnel, thankful Bad had wrapped them both up in coats.

A few figures are walking about in the snow. One is collecting snowballs, a couple others are working on some sort of building across the small frozen lake, and the last one is actually walking towards Sapnap.

Tubbo waves as he approaches, a heavy-looking bundle in his hands. "Hello, Sapnap!" He smiles, stopping in front of the other. "You must be freezing, and same with little Tommy. Come on, my house is just over this way, and you caught me as I was building a fireplace!"

Sapnap follows Tubbo, who hums softly. The man notices the grave for Squeeks, and feels an all-too-familiar pit growing in his stomach. He shakes his head to clear it, shaking the snow from his shoes before walking inside.

Tubbo's house is rather plain, inside. In fact, there's only a bed, some chests, and the frame of a fireplace to distinguish this house from a basic house idea. The windows are shuttered tightly against the wind, and the rafters creak and bend a little before settling back to normal.

Tubbo smiles, slipping off his earmuffs for a moment. "You can lay Tommy on the bed, if you'd like. I'm going to get a small fire going, and then we can step out to the docks and talk about... this..." His smile falters for a moment, before he turns away.

Sapnap tucks Tommy into the bed carefully, making sure he would be warm enough before looking back at Tubbo.

The teen lights a quick fire, making sure the smoke is rising out of the finished chimney before turning to Sapnap. "Alright. Come with me to the tower, and we'll discuss this in more detail."

The two walk outside, Tubbo waving to one of the people who mutters something about villager trades before slipping into Tubbo's house.

"Um... Tubbo is that safe to let someone else in there with Tommy...?" Sapnap asks as they slip into the building next door.

"Hmmm? Oh, that's just Jack Manifold. He's an incredibly trustworthy person, don't worry Sapnap. Tommy will be perfectly fine."

* * *

Jack Manifold had decided a long time ago that Tommy would not be fine, this day. He sighs, closing the door to Tubbo's house and putting a stick to work as doorstop so no one would come in.

He pulls out his sword, looking over it with a silent sigh. It was a gift from Tubbo named the "Manifold Blade", and had called it a symbol of their trust, friendship, and devotion to Snowchester. It's also the weapon Jack decided was perfect to slay the beast that is Tommyinnit, once and for all.

He approaches the bed, looking down at the child on the bed. Tommy is completely defenseless, helpless even. A literal toddler, barely taller than Jack's waist, and sleeping on top of that.

He pulls out the blade, touching it with a finger. He hums quietly, readying to stab the blade directly into the bastard's-

"Hello?"

Jack freezes, looking down into giant blue eyes that just woke up from a long nap. Little Tommy looks up at the other, shifting to sit up. Jack pulls the blade back out of habit, watching the other with a nervous gaze. "Um... Hello Tommy..."

"Who is you?" The child asks, wrapping the thick quilt around his tiny shoulders.

Jack sits down beside the bed. "Why, I'm Jack Manifold! I surprised you don't recognize me!"

Tommy clambers off the bed before faceplanting into Jack's torso. He lets out a muffled sorry before snuggling close.

Jack blinks in shock. Tommy had just... apologized to him. He can't recall a time that the annoying, brash, chaotic teen had even TRIED to apologize to him.

They sit in silence for a bit, before Tommy comments. "You're warm..." He says, softly.

"I am? Strange. Then again, you're wearing little more than a jumper and some trousers..." He picks up Tommy, walking him over to the fire and settling him down. "Wait there."

Jack slips downstairs, looking for something warm for Tommy to wear. He pauses, noticing his sword. He's supposed to be killing the kid but...

Something about this version of Tommy was rather... endearing. It was like all the good parts of Tommy, but without all the... well, if Jack was being honest, this child barely resembled Tommyinnit in any way beyond physical. And perhaps that was good thing.

Jack could wait for his revenge, and it would be that much sweeter when he got to watch the life drain out of Tommy's eyes. But this little child isn't his nemesis, not truly. And what cowardice comes from slaying the innocent. At that point, Jack would be as bad if not worse than Dream.

No no, Jack thought as he slips the sword away and grabs a small coat for the tiny child, this boy would not perish. Not on Jack's watch, at least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try to do some streaming stuff! My Twitch is https://www.twitch.tv/amazable01live, so drop a follow if you're interested! I'll be talking about all things Dream SMP, AUs, fanfics, and just all things fun!
> 
> Also, I made Jack Manifold hella extra, just as a treat.
> 
> As always, feel free to drop a kudos and/or a comment if you're liking this story so far! It makes my day, and it helps motivate me to keep making content! <3


	8. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sapnap and Tubbo have a chat, and Tubbo takes up babysitting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a bit, huh?
> 
> Reminder that this fic is set in an alternate timeline where the Finale never happened, so Snowchester exists but not the hotel.

"So... I know why you're here, but..." Tubbo groans, dropping his head into his hands. "You know I legally don't have the ability to make decisions on the council until I'm 18, right? I'm only there to keep Snowchester updated on rules of sanctuary, nothing more."

"I know Tubbo. But I NEED your help." Sapnap sighs, running a hand through his hair. "HE needs your help..."

Tubbo groans, walking over and sitting in what looks like an electric chair. Sapnap would've been afraid for him, if not for the fact that there was no one else in the room. "I can... I can TRY to do something, but I can only do so much. My place on the council is already barely there due to the L'Manberg stuff, and even though I've moved on, they still give me little-to-no way to voice my opinion. Plus I didn't even know that there WAS a meeting, when this came out. I was going to check on Tommy when I saw all of the signs up, but I couldn't find him anywhere..."

"He was hiding at Karl's library when he turned into a toddler. We kept him in El Rapids for a bit, and then at Bad's while I tried to get ahold of you." He sighs. "Look, we can't keep him, and I still have no idea how to care for him properly. I thought you might be able to, since you've known him the longest."

Tubbo chuckles. "No, actually. I've known him since he was five, but not this young. There's only three people in this world who knew him at that age, and one of them probably doesn't remember it."

"Techno and Phil." Sapnap says, softly. "That's... not what I wanted to hear, I'll be honest..."

Tubbo sighs, shrugging. "Yeah. I heard they live over near Logstedshire somewhere. I went once, but I doubt I'd be allowed back in, much less allowed to ask for help." He chuckles awkwardly. "I might not even remember how to get there, if I'm honest..."

Sapnap groans. "There must be SOMEWAY for us to contact them, right? Like, I'm sure they'd... they'd do something, right...?"

Tubbo shrugs again. "No clue. But, I can help a little, if need be. I can keep track of Tommy while you're figuring this out."

Sapnap nods. "It might be for the best. Keeping him here until we can figure something out. Plus, if Snowchester is a sanctuary-"

"It is." Tubbo butts in.

"-then we can legally house him here until we figure something out. Dream can't do anything."

Tubbo nods. "He'll be pissed, but I don't think I care all that much."

Sapnap nods, sighing. He secretly hoped he was doing the right thing.

* * *

Tubbo hadn't known what to expect with Little Tommy, if he was being honest.

He knew Tommy had grown up to be harsh, but he remembered that, ironically, he had been the bad influence on Tommy back when they ran around fields and stole Phil's crops and smuggled pets into the house at all hours of the night. They both got in so much trouble that, by the time they were both seven, Phil was done with their antics and had just decided to stop caring.

This Tommy wasn't like either of those Tommys. Little Tommy was much different.

Little Tommy was the kid who apologized if he thought you were feeling sad or hurt or angry, and would cuddle you until you were better. Little Tommy wouldn't sleep unless you held him, but he never demanded anything from anyone. Little Tommy almost never threw tantrums, and when he did it was because he genuinely wasn't doing good.

All of this to say, Little Tommy was the best child he could ever have to babysit.

It had been a couple weeks before he brought Tommy outside, and that was when everything changed. Now, Tommy would wake up as early as possible every morning to run around in the snow. He acted like he had never been around snow before, and Tubbo struggled to remember if they ever had it back at Phil's old cabin.

Even if they had, he probably wouldn't remember it.

Tubbo wakes to a soft shoving and a frustrated noise coming from the little guy. He huffs a laugh, which only increases the whining.

"Tubs! Up time!" Tommy complains, and Tubbo can't find it in his heart to fight. He sits up, much to the joy of the little one settled on his stomach. He picks up Tommy, walking over to the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

"What do you want, Tommy? We need to eat before we go to play again."

Tommy thinks, his little nose scrunching up in thought. Tubbo smiles softly. He gets why Sapnap wanted to protect Tommy, now. Tommy was sweet, and kind, and the personification everything Tubbo saw in his best friend without the pain.

"Ummm... Can I have cake?"

Tubbo laughs. "No, not right now. Maybe later, if you're good."

Tommy tries again with another food. "Eggs?"

Tubbo nods. "Cheese on top?"

Tommy nods excitedly. "Yes please!"

Tubbo sets his tiny friend on a chair, making sure he's secured, before going to make eggs. He smiles as he uses Phil's secret recipe, something Tubbo discovered when he accidentally spilled some ingredients for his breakfast one day in Manburg, and had been too lazy to restart.

He fries up the eggs, humming one of Wilbur's songs softly. It was the one Tommy had showed him back when they were in Pogtopia. He barely remembered the lyrics without Tommy's help (and Tommy didn't sing anymore. Not after Wilbur passed.), but the melody was simple and would get stuck in his head on occasion.

He plated the eggs, handing them over to the kiddo with a fork, before moving to get Tommy's new coat. Tubbo, with the help of Foolish, had tailored one of Tubbo's uniform coats to fit the little guy. It had kept him pretty warm up until now, even when sprinting out into the snow or falling into the lake (both of which Tommy did pretty regularly).

Little feet pad up to him, and Tommy raises his arms to get dressed in the coat. Tubbo laughs, wrapping up the toddler in the coat with a hum.

Tubbo then slips on his own gear, picks up Tommy, and opens his door.

Only to find Dream standing on the other side.


	9. Pregnant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo does what he does best when he has to escape a bad situation.

Tubbo stares up at Dream, his excitement dying in his throat. "D-Dream...?"

Dream shifts, mask as cold and lifeless as ever. "Tubbo, we need to talk. Now."

Tommy whimpers at the sight of the mask, burying himself into Tubbo's shirt and whimpering out scared little noises. It breaks Tubbo's heart to see the happy and sweet kiddo terrified.

He looks up at the monster in the doorway, before forcing on a happy smile. "Come on in, Dream. And do try to wipe off your feet, this time. Wouldn't want my little one slipping, would we?"

He moves back inside, softly soothing Tommy as he settles on the bed. He undoes Tommy's jacket (much to the fearful whimpers of the poor thing), before wrapping him up in blankets and cuddling him to his chest.

Dream, to his most basic credit, does wipe his feet and make sure he doesn't track anything into the small cabin. He moves over to one of the kitchen chairs, and he moves it over to face Tubbo. "So." He starts, his voice already leaving no room for debate. "I assume you've heard about the council's decision?"

Tubbo raises an eyebrow. "A meeting for the council? I wasn't sent an invitation, Dream. That's rather disrespectful, don't you think?"

Dream hums a single note. "Perhaps. I had thought you didn't turn up out of bias, but I suppose things get lost in the mail at all points."

_Like party invites_ ,Tubbo bitterly thinks to himself. He already hates the air in the room, and he has a feeling he knows where this is going. Though, perhaps not. Dream is a strange soul, and Tubbo could never truly read him.

"In any case, we as a council have decided to put Tommy back under exile, and so I've been looking for him. However, he seems to have vanished from the SMP, so I'm going around to try and find out if he's hiding somewhere."

"I haven't seen him." Tubbo says as he pulls Tommy in close. "Not recently."

"Tubbo, don't try this. You don't want to get in this fight with me."

"What fight?!?" Tubbo asks. "I'm not getting into any fight with you! I know where Snowchester lies, and I'm well within my boundaries!"

"Then who is that?" Dream asks, pointing at Tommy.

Tubbo's mouth moves before his brain can even comprehend what he's saying.

"This is my son. I was pregnant with him, and then I birthed him."

Tubbo can feel the judgemental stare radiating off Dream, so of course his stupid mouth has to keep going.

"Tommy helped me birth him before he stopped visiting Snowchester. He doesn't get out much, because I'm scared he'll accidently get hurt."

Dream sighs. "And what is his name? This... child, of yours?"

Tubbo panics again, glimpsing out the window to his right. The only thing he has time to see is Charlie breaking down a tree. And so his dumb mouth spews out another boldfaced and dumbassed lie.

"Corn-ifer. Cornifer."

Dream undoes his mask, giving Tubbo an incredulous look. "Are you actually serious?"

Tubbo doubles down, nodding as he laughs awkwardly. "Yup! My little Cornifer Underscore! My son."

Dream pinches his nose. "You're not going to back down from this, are you?"

"Don't you see the resemblance?" Tubbo continues, deciding that he might as well be buried in bedrock after digging the hole this deep. "I think it's rather striking."

"You're not going to back down from this." Dream answers himself. The man puts his mask back on, standing up. "Is this the hill you've decided to die on?"

Tubbo gasps. "Dream! I can't die on some hill, I've got a child to care for! My Cornifer can't make it out there alone!"

Dream groans. "You are just as annoying as Technoblade..." He waves his hand. "Fine, I'll bite. But if 'Cornifer' becomes a problem, I'll have to escort him out, got it?"

Tubbo holds Tommy close. "You can't threaten my son, that's uncalled for!"

Dream growls, and marches out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

Tubbo sighs, flopping back onto the bed with Tommy. He internally curses his chaotic nature, and his mouth that never seems to shut up. "Well, Big Man," he says to the little toddler halfway asleep on his chest. "I think we both need some naptime."


	10. Grounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snowchester goes under lockdown, and Tubbo contacts an old ally for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was MUCH longer, but then my computer froze up and lost all my progress. Hopefully next chapter will be a bit longer.

It took only a day for Dream to start isolating Snowchester.

It started small. Blocks in the speed bridge making it tedious to get over to the island. The prison not allowing anyone to travel within 80 or so blocks nearby without searches. Wanted posters of Tommy plastered across every surface that could hold them, to the point where Foolish, Charlie, and Jack were even annoyed by the clutter.

Tubbo refused to back down, however. He would not let Dream scare him into giving up Tommy or Snowchester. Not after what had happened to his best friend the last time. Even if he barely ever talked about it, Tubbo had seen the way Tommy was scared of plains biomes, the way he would freeze up when someone asked him to drop something or hand something over. They way he would mutter to himself about Dream being confusing when he thought no one was around.

Tubbo knew Tommy had been through enough.

However, every day or so in Snowchester, the restrictions kept getting worse.

Dream would visit every few days, now, making sure Tommy wasn't 'causing any damage' and that "Cornifer" was doing well. Tubbo knew Tommy, even big Tommy, wouldn't do anything like that without prompting, yet he kept his mouth shut tight. He couldn't let his lie drop even for a second, and neither could the others, lest Dream take Tommy far away where no one would ever find him again.

Punz started patrolling around every day soon after, and a large obsidian wall appeared one night, blocking Snowchester off from the rest of the server unless you were using the consistently patrolled and broken tunnel. Ships patrolled the waters around Snowchester, too, not letting anyone in or out without valid reasoning. Dream started taking taxes, draining Snowchester on behalf of 'the good of all on the server'.

Tubbo knew his men were coming to the breaking point.

Foolish had tried to sneak away, one night, to go back to his summer house. He should've been allowed, as the rules of Snowchester and DreamSMP sanctuary said, however he had been arrested. Last Tubbo had heard, he was being held in one of the smaller cells in the prison until the next council meeting, where they would decide his fate.

Tubbo had been removed from the council due to 'suspicious behavior', and he was still trying to appeal the decision weeks after. He had a feeling the council played little part in that decision, but he can't do anything about it now.

Charlie had gone out on an ocean trip, with proper papers, to go visit the main Dream SMP about two weeks ago. He vanished without a trace, and Tubbo had grown worried.

Jack was stuck with Tubbo in a single house, as the houses had slowly became uninhabitable, and they've been stuck in this house for about a week, now.

Tommy is curled up next to the fire, asleep for the first time in days, and Tubbo keeps a close eye on him. Dream had snuck in once before to try and steal Tommy when Tubbo went fishing, and he never took his eyes off the boy after that.

Jack sighs, shifting in borrowed clothes too small for him. It was better than nothing, considering they had little clean clothes now, and going outside to wash them meant risking Dream coming in and snatching up the poor kid. He speaks quietly. "We need help, Tubbo."

"We can't contact anyone, Jack." Tubbo sighs. "Dream's blocked our comm signals. We can only wait fo-"

Jack's voice is furious yet quiet as to not wake the sleeping boy. "Wait?!? Tubbo, we're starving. We have no clothes, no resources, nothing. At this rate, we'll be too weak to even try and fight Dream if he walks in to grab the kid. We need help, and you know it."

Tubbo buries his head in his hands, trying to not cry. He curls up a little from hunger, and whimpers. It had been two days since he ate. Not fatal, thankfully, but certainly not pleasant. "If you can get us a signal, we can call for help..."

Jack thinks, before racing downstairs. Tubbo can hear him shifting through stuff before he scrambles back up the ladder. "I found an old comm. Foolish had it, and I helped him upgrade to our system. I kept it though, in case it was needed. It works on a different frequency, but it has charges. This has one charge, so we should be able to get in contact with one person."

Tubbo takes it, and it links to him. He thinks. _I've only got one shot... Who would help Snowchester from Dream?_

Tubbo's eyes widen, and he quickly types out a short message. He presses send, and watches as the message flashes up before the comm goes dead.

_[You whisper to The_Eret: Dream's got us trapped. Snowchester is starving. We need help.]_

He sighs, setting the now useless thing on the coffee table, and moving to hold Tommy close. All that's left to do is wait.


End file.
